Our stories

Our stories

It was only after members of GREEN approached him that Jayappa heard of the advantages of organic farming. His first reaction was to dismiss everything he was told about sustainable agriculture;

Jayarathnamma

A community leader and entrepreneur in her own right, Jayarathnamma is quietly breaking through the social barriers that women have faced for centuries. A leading member of the Self Help Group in her village of Kolagondanahalli, she spearheads income generation programs for 16 strong women.

Lakshmamma

On a warm, sunny day in the small village of Kulumedoddi, 62-year-old Lakshmamma is waiting outside her home to finish a deal with Janadhanya, the farmer’s society initiated by GREEN which helps provide market linkage for organic produce.

Chandre Gowda

A path to a sustainable futureChandre Gowda’s eyes light up at the sight of his two children, little 4-year-old Rakshita and her younger brother 2-year-old Rakesh. As a father and family man, his greatest concern is the wellbeing of his family. With a radiant smile, he talks about his transition to becoming an organic farmer, a gradual change that took place over the course of more than 3 years.

Manjulamma

Women as custodians of biodiversityManjulamma knows the challenges of being a farmer: if it is not troublesome pests and diseases that cause worry, then it is the lack of proper water supply that pose a threat for her family’s food security. Sometimes, even when there is plenty of water, there is no electricity supply to work the pumps.

Shivrudraiah

The economics of organic farmingLike many farmers in and around Kanakapura Taluk near Bangalore city, Shivrudraiah says he was initially skeptical of organic practices and sustainable agriculture when he heard of them through GREEN. What he did know for sure, is that chemicals had degraded his land, reducing yields drastically.

Sujathamma: individual seed saver

Confident and outspoken, Sujathamma is a natural leader of her community, mixing a strong sense of sense of purpose with a cool dose of truthfulness and honesty in everything she does. But as she explains, this was not always the case. “I used to be so shy that I could get nothing out when I wanted to say something.

Nagrathnamma

Advantages of cultivating indigenous crops… instead of indigenous crop cultivation…CSBs as central points for village activities…

When Nagrathnamma first approached GREEN, she says, it was in the hopes that the Foundation would help empower the local Self Help Groups (SHGs) in her village; at that time she had no idea of organic farming or sustainable agriculture.

Nagaraju K.M

My journey to sustainabilityLike his father before him, Nagaraju K.M is a well respected farmer in the region of Kolagondanahalli, Ramanagara District. His many years of experiential learning first began with the lessons that his father taught him when he was still young.

Noorawanduswamy on PGS

“I remember what it was like before, when I used to use chemicals,” recalls Noorawanduswamy. “I would come home dizzy with a headache and I would be ill for 2 to 3 days after that with a constant headache, unable to get out of bed.” After being introduced to the benefits of organic farming through fold art activities that GREEN initiates, he changed his approach to farming.

Rudraswamy

How PGS changed my lifeRudraswamy sits on the porch of his neighbour’s home, on a bright summer day, talking about his life as a farmer. Like more than 50% of India’s labour force, his livelihood is in the agricultural sector. And like more than 70% of the world’s poor, his home is a rural one.

Savantaiah

Savantaiah advocates organic farmingFor 50-year-old Savantaiah, the Green Revolution and its promise of high yields through chemical inputs proved too good to be true. That is because within his own lifetime, he has witnessed the affects that chemicals have had on his land and livelihood. “The soil was ‘burnt’.

Nagrathnamma

How GREEEN Foundation changed my communityWhen Nagrathanmma first became associated with GREEN, she says, very few people in her village of Kulumedoddi knew anything about indigenous seed varieties. In fact, nearly all of 50-odd families in her community were cultivating hybrid seeds through extensive use of chemicals, often incurring debt to meet the expenses of farming.

Rajamma

On seed banks and seed conservation“One year, we could not find any DAP* in the local market. We went in search of it everywhere, but we found nothing. It was a very poor harvest that year, even though there were good rains. We had become dependent on outside sources for our needs,” explains Rajamma, a trusted community member in Kulumedoddi.